Arsenal: Zlatan Ibrahimovic worthy of discussion

It seems that Zlatan Ibrahimovic will not be returning to Manchester United. Arsenal should at the very least discuss his acquisition if he becomes available.

Arsenal are always linked with ruthless strikers from around Europe. In recent weeks, Henry Onyekuru, Kylian Mbappé and Alexandre Lacazette have been the notable names connected with the club.

Maybe it is time to narrow the field and look a little closer to home. James Cooper of Sky Sports recently had this to say regarding the striker search at Manchester United;

"“I think if we were talking about a fit Zlatan Ibrahimovic after his first season in English football, I think it would be a no brainer. Man Utd would exercise the clause in his contract and give him a second year and we would all be talking about the legend that is Ibrahimovic.“But he has had major surgery and the surgeons were happy with how that went but we are talking about a player who is 35 years old and may not properly get back to fitness until well into 2018, despite him saying he has made a good recovery.“If you look at the balance sheet in terms of his worth to Man Utd, they are scouring the market for a striker, they’ve said that already. Antoine Greizmann is not the priority, he’s been put on the back burner, but they need someone who scores goals alongside the likes of Anthony Martial and Marcus Rashford.More from Pain in the Arsenal3 observations from Arsenal’s victory at Goodison Park3 standout players from 1-0 victory over Everton3 positives & negatives from Goodison Park victoryArsenal vs PSV preview: Prediction, team news & lineups3 talking points from Arsenal’s victory at Goodison Park“On top of that, and the wages that Ibrahimovic commands, it’s unlikely that Man Utd will exercise that clause. It is more likely that he will play his football somewhere else and will become a free agent at the end of the month.“But at this stage, Man Utd have not made a decision on whether they are sticking or twisting on Ibrahimovic, but they are more crosses than ticks in that boss and as I say, I think it is highly unlikely that he will be a United player next season.”"

Let me make it clear, Arsenal should at least make an effort to sign Zlatan should he become available. Yes, his wage demands, age and recent injury make it incredibly unlikely that Arsenal would pursue the prolific striker. That said, I believe Ibrahimovic is the right kind of striker for Arsenal to target, especially if they have ambitions to win the Premier League.

Danny Welbeck and Olivier Giroud are both very good strikers, however, I think if Arsenal are to truly challenge for major honours moving forward, they need to sign an elite striker. Chelsea, Spurs and Manchester City all have one, and you can be pretty sure that they will all be challenging for trophies next season.

If not Ibrahimovic, Romelu Lukaku should be the main priority. It is my firm believe that Arsenal require a physical presence up front. I am a big fan of both Kylian Mbappé and Alexandre Lacazette, but I question whether they have the physicality required for English football.

Next: Arsenal's 30 Greatest Players Ever

It seems as though Arsenal will be aggressive in their search for a new striker. Who they decide upon will be interesting, as whoever it is will shape how they play.

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